Explore the latest news and trends  

Sign up for our weekly security newsletter


Be the first to receive important updates on security





Send

Botnet Strikes Anti-Spam Sites

Malware botnets that are operated by spammers are targeting Websites of anti-spam community, which help to fight phishing and spam, with DoS (Denial of Service) attacks. anti-spam Website SpamNation first received the attack that reported it in the first week of September 2007.

SpamNation is definite that the Zhelatin gang is behind these DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks. Zhelatin gang is the group, which is believed to be responsible for the expanding Storm worm botnet.

The gang's idea is to disable the sites for a week or two so that their malware safely gets installed while everyone would be clueless about how to clean it. Also, repeated strikes on the security sites would prompt their Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to shut the sites down temporarily at least.

The spammers operating the botnets are also selling DoS attacks. When the Zhelatin gang turns on a particular site, it does not necessarily mean that the gang alone has picked up that site for the attack. Chances are that one of its customers has commissioned it. Just as a customer can command a penny stock scam, so they can request a distributed denial of service assault also, explained SpamNation.

For a couple of weeks, sites such as CastleCops.com, which engages in bringing down malicious sites and helps out parties suffering malware, have been encountering the DDoS attack. With this, black hats have been inundating CastleCops with abundant junk data to try and overload the site and cause its collapse.

CastleCops started to experience the attack on August 29, 2007. At that time, the site was knocked off from the Internet for some hours. However, with the implementation of certain counter measures, it came back. But then the assault spread to other related sites including fraudwatchers.org, 419eater.com, scamfraudalert.com, scam.com, and scamwarners.com. A majority of these Websites are currently not responding, said Paul Laudanski, Founder of CastleCops. Pcworld reported this on September 11, 2007.

The botnet is growing at an alarming rate and that leaves one wondering what type of Websites will become future targets of the DoS attacks.

Related article: Botnet Misuses Google Analytics

ยป SPAMfighter News - 9/27/2007

3 simple steps to update drivers on your Windows PCSlow PC? Optimize your Slow PC with SLOW-PCfighter!Email Cluttered with Spam? Free Spam Filter!

Dear Reader

We are happy to see you are reading our IT Security News.

We do believe, that the foundation for a good work environment starts with fast, secure and high performing computers. If you agree, then you should take a look at our Business Solutions to Spam Filter & Antivirus for even the latest version of Exchange Servers - your colleagues will appreciate it!

Go back to previous page
Next